Balding Blog

I just recently quit taking finasteride due to experiencing some sexual side effects that did not decrease when trying a smaller dose. My doctor advised me to stop finasteride for six months to see if my sexual symptoms improved. I took my last pill a month ago.

I was on finasteride from age 24 to 27, and, while not improving my hair loss, it at least kept further loss from occurring. I’m starting to feel anxious about the catch-up hair loss that could come within the next few months. Would minoxidil help prevent this catch-up loss from occurring, or is it more or less inevitable?

If you had unwanted side effects with a medication, you did the right thing by discussing your options (weighing out risks and benefits) and stopping the medication. The catch up hair loss can happen over the next 6 months after stopping Propecia and that is something that cannot be completely stopped.

Starting another type of medication such as topical minoxidile (Rogain) may help but since it works in different ways than Propecia you still may experience hair loss from the “catch up” phenomenon. Everyone is different and you won’t know until you try.

When you stop finasteride for as long as 8 months, you have given your genes control of your balding process. The drug no longer has any impact on your balding. The drug, if you restart it, will probably be less effective and the hair that you lost, is lost.

If you had no impact from stopping Minoxidil, it means that the drug had no effect on your hair because Minoxidil developed hair growth usually causes hair loss (of those hairs that regrew) when you stop the drug.

These two drugs work differently, and when properly managed, they can work together, complementing the value of each drug. Your response to Minoxidil sounds great, so it may be reasonable to expect that you may not get the same effect on Finasteride without going back on Minoxidil.

About 3 years ago at age 28 I noticed the hair in and around my crown area was quite a bit thinner than the rest of my head. So I did some research and found that Minoxidil might do the trick. It was cheap and effective for a lot of people. I ordered the Kirkland brand stuff, and began a routine. I remained with the same thinning look so after 3 years, I didn’t think that I was getting any benefit from minoxidil and then stopped it. I had a massive hair shed within a couple of months.

While you were taking minoxidil you may have been replacing your native hair with new hair that was induced by the minoxidil and you just didn’t see this ‘swap’ happening. When you stopped the minoxidil, all of the new hair induced by minoxidil which was addicted to it, fell out. You might try going back on the minoxidil.

I recently hopped off Finasteride (2.5yrs) and Dutasteride (3 months) because I didn’t feel they were helping my hair at all. I figured that if I were to have any real results, I’d need surgery. I’ve been off them the last 3 months and I miss the “side effects”. My facial hair grows much quicker now and thicker. I miss when I rarely having to shave. My libido is also ANNOYINGLY high. I’m feeling way more sexual these days, especially compared to the past. Now when I see attractive strangers, I can’t help but think sexual thoughts. It’s the most annoying thing. I feel distracted! Anyways, just a rant about things some of you guys might consider “side effects.” I need to think further if I can get this mindset back with a Dr.’s help.

Interesting comments.

If I stop fin and or minox, is the rate of balding accelerated to greater than it would have been without trying treatment or just go back to pre treatment levels? thanks

When you stop these drugs you go back to point zero, where point zero is the amount of hair that you not only saved with these two drug but the amount of hair that you would have lost without taking these drug.